A Wilde Christmas

*Strange timing for a Christmas story, but I appreciate all comments or feedback. Hopefully, the finalized, revised version will be done by Christmas 😊*

Chapter 1

"LET'S GO BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!"

Wynter was woken out of her sleep by the yelling of her loudmouth, favorite cousin Liberty.

"Libby, it's not my birthday yet. Can we please skip the antics this year?" Wynter groaned, peeking out from beneath her comforter. Wynter thought the tradition her mom started of celebrating her birthday week died with her. She hadn't spent her birthday or Christmas on the ranch since she was a kid. Currently, she was crashing at her great aunt's house on the ranch. She should have known Liberty wasn't going to let her birthday pass in peace.

"Absolutely not! We skipped it for how many years because of that man? Birthday week is restarting! Tuh-day!" Liberty declared, pulling open the curtains. Wynter winced and burrowed under the covers- hiding from both the sunlight streaming into her room and the mention of "that man". She wanted to forget the reason she fled from Houston, not be reminded of him.

The pain and anger of betrayal were quickly replaced with annoyance and cold when Liberty yanked the comforter off her. She blinked her eyes opened and squinted at her tall, curvy cousin. At 5 '10, Liberty towered over Wynter, and her work running all over town as the mayor's purchase manager, event planner and daughter kept her as toned as she was voluptuous. Her looks matched her personality: boisterous, proud, and unrelenting. Everything about her screamed no nonsense; from her straightened brown bob, dark brown eyes, and her flawlessly made-up face. Wynter was irritated enough to want to throttle her, but not stupid enough to try.

"I've given you time to grieve, but it's been 8 months. You gotta get up and get moving- or you're gonna be stuck here."

"What are you talking about? You've never left home. Are you stuck?" Wynter challenged her.

"Nope, I choose to be here. Everything and everyone I love is here. There's no other place in the world I wanna be. I'm hiding from nobody or nothin'. Can you say the same?" Liberty countered.

Wynter frowned but didn't respond. She couldn't lie to Liberty or tune her out.

"You know I love you, Wyn. I always wanted you to move back here, but not like this. None of those assholes deserve to take your happiness away." She stopped suddenly, looking Wynter in the eyes. "I'll leave you alone if you really don't want to celebrate, but will that make you happy?"

Truthfully, Wynter had no idea what would make her happy. She couldn't remember the last time she was truly happy. Growing up, she used to stay at Wilde Ranch during her summer breaks. It was the only time she got to spend with her mother's side of the family. Both her mother and father were from the small town of Lucky 90 miles from Fort Worth, but her dad moved for a prestigious job at a law firm in Houston. Her mom followed him, but she hated the city and moved back to the ranch with Wynter. After her mom succumbed to a battle with cancer, Wynter's dad moved her back to Houston to live with his family. Summer and the last week of winter break were the only time she visited her hometown. While she loved being home, being at the ranch was a constant reminder of what she lost and how much she missed out on being away the majority of the year. She felt out of place at both the ranch and with her dad's new family in Houston. She had thought that the feeling of displacement was gone with Michael.

She shook her head, pushing out the thoughts of her ex, and sighed. "What's the plan to kick off my birthday week?"

"It's a surprise, but I'll give you a hint... It's going to be totally, completely Wilde!" Liberty cheered, with a wide grin.

"All the Wilde girls?" Wynter squeaked genuinely surprised. Between her reclusiveness and their busy schedules, she hardly saw her favorite cousins all together. Over the past 8 months, they took turns checking in on her. With Christmas being a few weeks away and it being hectic for both the town and the ranch, she didn't expect they would have time to worry about her.

"Yes ma'am!" Liberty smiled.

"Even Val, with the restaurant opening?"

"Yes, we got a whole week planned and everyone's committed. This next week is all about you, cuz! Let's have a bitchin' birthday week!"

"Ok!" Wynter smiled, getting out of bed.

Liberty went into Wynter's closet and pulled out her suitcase. When Wynter came out of the bathroom, Liberty already had her suitcase filled. Liberty instructed her to pack her toiletries and accessories for a night out. Wynter packed her hygiene products, her makeup, and lastly, a few hair accessories that her mom crafted for her. Her mother was creative with all mediums and had a love for all things vintage. She restored and created any and everything she found unique or interesting. She was the go-to interior decorator, seamstress, and custom artist for the small town of Lucky. Since she was a toddler, her mom made Wynter custom hair accessories. The bows, hairbands, scrunchies, and barrettes were the only reason Wynter would tolerate anyone doing her hair. Even as an adult, Wynter taught herself how to braid, twist, and manage her thick, long, coarse hair because she couldn't stand anyone else doing it. Her mother would find or make her the most beautiful accessories to entice her into getting her hair done. Wynter had to store them with the other prized possessions she had of her mother at the ranch, and she couldn't remember the last time she wore any of them. Her birthday week always started with a new accessory from her mom, and she wanted to honor that by wearing one.

After driving about an hour and a half, Liberty pulled her truck up to the hotel in Downtown Fort Worth. Liberty was gushing over the place before they even parked. Liberty continued to ooo and aww over the fanciness when they walked through the lobby. Wynter smiled, and nodded, not having the heart to tell her that as far as hotels, it was pretty ordinary. She tried to view the hotel through her cousin's eyes, and not through the snobbish perspective cultivated by her father's elitist attitude. The hotel was Western-inspired but elegant and sophisticated. It was comfortable, inviting, and luxurious all at the same time. The Christmas tree and decorations added to the charm of the hotel.

"This is too much! Y'all did not get us rooms here." Wynter smiled, taking note of the spa and multiple restaurants.

"Not rooms, we are sharing one room, but it's a suite girl!" Valentina, her cousin announced as she met them at the reception area. Grace trailed behind her, smiling when she spotted them.

"Val!" Wynter's smile widened as Valentina pulled her in for a hug. Valentina was stunningly beautiful- her mixed black and Mexican heritage gave her light bronze skin, piercing hazel eyes, and long wavy brown hair that she normally pulled back in a ponytail. Even in jeans and a t-shirt, she looked like a model on the way to her next job. The most incredible thing about her was that she didn't care about looks. She wasn't the kind of girl who didn't know she was attractive- she knew it, but she cared more about her work. She judged herself and others on what they accomplished, not how they looked.

"Hey birthday girl!" Grace giggled as Wynter bear-hugged her. Grace was a couple of inches shorter than Wynter at 5'4 and the youngest of the girls at 22. She was already the baby of her family, but her petite stature and classic features made everyone cherish her like a baby doll. Wynter was always envious of her perfect caramel-colored skin, big doe brown eyes, and cupid bow lips. Grace was so thoughtful, kind, and generous, that it was impossible not to love her.

Wynter pulled away, feeling tears well in her eyes seeing her cousins and best friends beaming at her. "You guys, thank you-" Wynter started, breaking up as the tears threatened to fall.

"It's ok Wynter," Grace said, grabbing her hand, comfortingly.

"Right, we love you chicka! Dontcha ever forget that." Val chimed in.

"None of that Wyn. We are turning up this week. No time for tears or bullshit, you got it?" Liberty declared. Grace and Val both gave her a warning look, but Wynter laughed. Liberty knew what to say to snap her out of it.

"I got it," Wynter promised, blinking the tears away. "Do we have time for a drink, 'cause that'll help with the bullshit?"

"Always." Liberty smiled. "Let's go get checked in so we can hit the bar."

They checked into their massive suite that had two queen-sized beds, a full living and sitting area with a pull-out couch, and a balcony looking over the pool. They all picked a bed to share and took turns getting dressed. Since they checked in late, the girls didn't plan anything but drinks and dinner at the steakhouse at the hotel. That was perfect for Wynter as it allowed them to relax, catch up, and explore the area. While she didn't inherit all of her mother's artistic abilities, she had an eye for beauty and loved to capture it with her camera. Their dinner reservation was later in the evening, so they got a drink at the hotel bar and took plenty of pictures in the lovely surroundings. After a delicious surf and turf dinner, they retired to their hotel room to watch a movie before they fell asleep.